NFL Playoff News: Gurley, Cowboys-Rams, Chiefs-Colts

Set the table for the first day of the best weekend in the professional sports calendar …

1. Early in the week, Rams saw RB Todd Gurley appearing as a guy who came a month on the shelf (he hasn't played since December 16), while sometimes flashing his speed and speed. By Thursday, Gurley said, according to a co-worker, "like a monster." Bottom line: Ramsna is waiting to be herself. And more good news: C.J. Anderson is now there to spell him as needed. The plan is to get him to work as well.

BENOIT: Can Cowboys Ride Ezekiel Elliott into a Road Win over the Rams?

2nd Barring something strange happens with the planned rental of patriot's linebackers coach Brian Flores Cowboys secondary coach Kris Richard will end up as a runner in Miami. Trust me when I say this: The Dallas brass is ecstatic to keep him. My understanding is that Joneses likes him so much that even though things had fallen apart this year and they made a change with head coaches, they had tried to keep Richard on and pair him with someone like Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley . Like that, there is a really good chance that Cowboys will mix staff after the season to pass the defensive coordinator title from Rod Marinelli to Richard. It is also reflected in Richard's mission. At the beginning of the year he sat up the back of the defense and shouted at third falls. At the end of September, he calls the whole game for the cowboys.

3rd While we are there, Cowboys is planning to give slot receivers Cole Beasley and tight end Blake Jarwin a chance to prove that they are healthy enough to go warming up. The team hopes to have both active and ready to go. If they can't, we can see more of Tavon Austin than usual. And another man to look at the Dallas offense: rookie Connor Williams who played well enough last week to claim a left guard. I'm told he probably starts, even with Xavier Su & Filo returning well and probably up for the game. And that means he'll see a lot Aaron Donald .

BENOIT: Can the pistons win on the road again vs. No. 1

seed chiefs?

4th Chiefs went to bed on Friday night still uncertain about WR Sammy Watkins and S Eric Berry . Watkins has not played for nearly two months, but there is optimism that he will play, pending a final check. Berry's situation is considerably foggy, and his health injury has kept him quite far from 100 percent year-round. In other words, we see if he plays, but it is not like Berry really played as his previous self so far this year.

5th Not so it means that he and his team win Saturday at Arrowhead, but all the world credit to T.Y. Hilton for the toughness he has shown in recent months. He has routinely been sidelined for full weeks of training – he was the week again – and still took it on Sunday (and week and last Saturday). We see how much he can help Andrew Luck take advantage of a shaky K.C. secondary.